Darlene and Lizzy Okpo, William Okpo

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Sisters Darlene and Lizzy Okpo are New York cool kids through and through. Born in the Bronx, raised in Staten Island, and currently residing in Brooklyn, "we've literally been in all five boroughs at one point in our life," Lizzy explains. It was her job at Opening Ceremony, that Manhattan mecca of all things hip, that allowed for the debut of the clothing line she cooked up with Darlene. The pair count downtown darling Solange Knowles as a close friend. Yes, these girls are painfully, enviably, undeniably cool, but it's their keen design sense that's getting them noticed.

Conceived five years ago, William Okpo the brand was inspired by the William Okpo the man, who just happens to be Darlene and Lizzy's father. "We grew up watching our dad be very stern and militant about his appearance all the time," says Lizzy. "We were really inspired by the idea of him coming to the U.S. from Nigeria in 1976 and obtaining this superb look." The first William Okpo collection hit Opening Ceremony's shelves in the fall of 2010, and the accolades haven't stopped since.

After presenting at GenArt's Fresh Faces of Fashion show last year and its New Garde show in February, the sisters mounted their very first solo presentation at New York Fashion Week last month. The collection is supremely functional (denim and drawstrings) and humbly chic (double collars!), inspired by "everyday people". It's easy to see their father's influence in the clean, crisp pieces. The footwear — clear plastic laceups in bright blue and orange, the result of a collaboration with Namibian shoemaker Herbert Schier — is also something to behold.

"We're still young, still growing, still learning," Darlene says, adding that the two dream of having their own store one day. "It's more than just fashion, this whole idea of having a business. What me and Lizzy love the most is being able to have something we actually own." And what is it like working with her sister? "Stressful, annoying, aggravating," she jokes. "We have no choice but to deal with each other! If we decide we just want to yell at each other, my father comes in." And even then, we have to imagine William is pretty darn proud.